Façade
by I'mOnMyBreak
Summary: "Sonic," he fell to his knees as they buckled beneath him, "Please..." Sonic has been acting strange and whilst the rest of the gang try to find out what happened, a part of Sonic is unleashed that they never want to see again. "Tails, sometimes, there isn't always a light at the end of the tunnel..."
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, this is my first fanfiction so sorry about any mistakes with grammar or spelling. please review._

* * *

**PROLOUGE**

He looked around.

What? What was happening? His eardrums threatened to burst as the thundering cheers of the crowd, his friends and the constant humming of the X Tornado deafened him. And yet, there were a blur, a hazy noise echoing in his ears. He had no memory of what he just did despite doing it less than five minutes ago. Was that why they were cheering? Because of whatever it was he did?

Sonic jumped slightly as a breeze brushed passed him. He turned to face his brother and hot-headed friend as the wheels of the Tornado skidded across the roof of the sky scraper before stopping beside the blue, puzzled hedgehog. The echidna leapt off the wing and patted Sonic's back, chuckling with a grin plastered on his face. The twin-tailed kitsune flew down from the pilot's seat, hugging his friend tightly.

Both were completely oblivious.

Both were clueless.

Both had no idea.

"…..Sonic! That wasn't funny! You could've died!" cried his best friend. The eight-year-old's arms wrapped around the speed demon's torso, burying his face into his chest as tears spilled. Died? Sonic hugged the fox back. He could've _died_? As he had missed the beginning of the mechanic's sentence, he had no clue what happened.

"Shhh, Tails. It's okay; I'm okay," he soothed. A minute or two later, Tails reluctantly moved from his arms, wiping his eyes and smiling.

"I was worried, we were all worried...especially Amy. She wants to see you. In fact, I'll bring her!" he said, racing to the plane, "C'mon, Knuckles!"

The two clambered in the plane and flew down. Sonic looked at them before gazing at the sky, feeling his quick, shallow breaths escape him. It was blurry. He was dizzy. He stumbled, balancing on the edge of the sky scraper. The cheers were replaced by gasps. Sonic looked down. The people were dots. He staggered uncontrollably as he felt his consciousness snatched away from him. No one could save him. He couldn't save himself. The last thing he saw before black was the sky. The cloudless sky. Before he fell. And fell. And fell.

* * *

** CHAPTER 1: IT'S A MASK**

"Erm…. I think that's it," she said, grabbing the basket and heading for the door. Amy stood still for a moment, staring at it as if it had said something she didn't know how to react to. She placed the basket on the floor and clasped her hands together. Her eyebrows furrowed as she closed her eyes tightly.

"Oh, please let him come today," she pleaded to herself, "Please,"

She recalled the last time they were all going to have a picnic, even Shadow and Rouge came (though the black hedgehog was muttering darkly that the bat forced him out of bed and that she had only wanted to go to see Knuckles). It had been a beautiful day with summer creeping over the fresh grass at Green Hill, the birds twittering excitedly as the mobians unpacked the food. Sandwiches, chilli dogs, cakes, and cookies; all freshly home-made by Amy, Vanilla and Cream. However, she just realised, her beloved Sonic, who arrived incredibly late (which was strange), hadn't even touched his chilli dogs. As she looked back, she remembered the confused looks Tails, Knuckles and Shadow also gave him. That was completely unlike the blue hedgehog.

Shaking her head to clear it, Amy picked up the basket and ran to the same picnic destination they had chosen. The pinkette didn't live far from Green Hill.

The heat caused her face to turn a shade of pink just lighter than her fur, but the gentle breeze that graced Mobius cooled her down. When the pinkette arrived, out of breath like Tails, Cream and Cheese who had been chasing each other, she was delighted to see everyone already there. Scanning around, she saw everyone was busy: Rouge was, obviously, teasing Knuckles and Shadow was stood, arms crossed and eyes closed with his back to a tree, this came as no surprise. But what did was the blue blur slumped at the foot of a large tree, hidden in the shade and quiet. Quiet, Shadow knew, never matched with Sonic. Never. So why now?

He had been watching the hedgehog for several minutes, noting the slight differences that only he, Knuckles, Amy and Tails seemed to notice. Clearly Vector, Espio and Charmy, who were all sat talking about random things (Vanilla in Vector's case), hadn't noticed, and neither had the rabbits nor Rouge. But what was wrong with Sonic and why, Shadow would never know. Again, like last time, the speed demon hadn't touched his chilli dogs, claiming with a toothy grin that he wasn't hungry. In fact, instead of preventing concern from his four closest friends as he was seemingly trying to do, his statement created the exact opposite effect. Sonic would never give up a chilli dog. Seeing the worried expressions on the other mobians' faces (Amy, Knuckles, Tails) Shadow nodded to them, earning one from each in reply. The plan was set.

* * *

The thin line of pink hovered above the horizon, spilling out different shades of orange as the colours splattered around. The still cloudless sky gave deep, sinking feelings to the four mobians who sat upon the grass of Green Hill. All the other animals were gone: leaving Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow and Amy to gaze at the setting sun. Any minute, Tails thought, and they would find out what was wrong with his best friend. He turned to Amy, who turned to Knuckles, who turned to Shadow, who nodded. They all turned back to each other, silently, with mouths shut, nodding. Tails caught the signal and faced Sonic.

"So…erm-Sonic?" he asked

"Yeah?"

Tails looked back at the others, all of whom nodded and gestured to him to carry on, eyes wide

"Uh, I was wondering, why, uh, you didn't eat your chilli dog, I-I mean, you never leave a chilli dog to waste," he said quickly, adding that last sentence so as not to make him suspicious.

No reply.

"Sonic?" Knuckles tried, "What's going on? You haven't been yourself lately."

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine and perfectly normal; so what do you mean, I haven't been myself lately?" the blue hedgehog asked in slight anger, finally snatching his emerald eyes away from the sky only to bore them into his friend's. "What do you mean?"

All four mobians were slightly taken aback at the speed demon's words, but that wasn't what had affected them most. It was the irritable anger desperately concealed in his words. Even Shadow had his share of the slight surprise.

"N-nothing, we- I just- I didn't mean-"

The blue blur snapped.

He stood up and faced his friends, eyes narrowed in aggravated rage. "What did you not mean?" he asked, "And, what do you mean, 'NOT MYSELF?!'"He roared angrily at them, either not noticing their puzzled, surprised and terrified faces or just ignoring them. "I AM SICK OF YOU GUYS SAYING THAT I'M, 'NOT MYSELF!' I KNOW WHAT I AM AND I KNOW THAT I AM FINE! NOTHING, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME, GOT IT?!"

His friends cringed back. Sonic had never shouted them and never again do they want to be shouted at, but his anger just made them want to help him more. During his outburst, the mobians had noticed his quills rising a bit and his fur turning just a bit darker. That was enough to confirm it.

Clearly, the speed demon was annoyed. Clearly, something other than their questions was causing that. Clearly, his happiness these last few weeks had been a mask…


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys i'm back! I think I updated fairly quick but that's cus I already had it written. The wait for chapter three and onwards may take slightly longer, sorry. Thank you so much to Leodragon678, Sonadow345 and meekyz for your support. Also, i forgot to mention that constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. I forgot to do this last time so..._

_DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SONIC FRANCHISE OR CHARACTERS (if i did i wouldn't be writing this would I):)_

_By the way does anyone know what happen to the line break cus its not letting me make them. thank you so much and PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Sorry about mistakes of any kind._

* * *

CHAPTER 2: SHADOW OF THE LIGHT.

Sonic hadn't known what had come over him. He knew that _it_ was driving him insane and he also knew that his friends were just trying to help, but now, thanks to his other side, he could only control half of himself. They were both opposites and they both knew it. They were both good and bad. Light and dark. Yin and yang. They were two sides of the same coin. A double-edged sword. They were completely different and yet exactly the same; neither can survive without the other.

Knuckles looked absolutely shocked. Seeing his blue rival shout was just so… uncharacteristic. Something was wrong with him- that was obvious. But what? What was wrong with him? The echidna could feel it tickling his brain, teasing him because he couldn't put his finger on it. What was it? That question made it practically impossible to concentrate and, being the guardian of the Master Emerald, that was a problem; a distraction. A distraction, yeah, so what? But in his free time, it was his main goal; his ambition. To find out what was wrong with his (dare-he-say-it) most trusted friend. The hedgehog was isolating himself as if he was worried he would turn into this horrible thing and attack everyone and everything.

Knuckles snorted. That was ridiculous: Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius and Friend of many, attack everything he holds dear to himself. Like that would ever happen, Knuckles thought.

Oh, irony

He lifted himself up off the stone steps in front of the gem, leaning his back against the next step instead. He yawned widely, his mind moving onto other things. He didn't suit detective; that was the Chaotix's job. The red echidna vaguely remembered Rouge, noticing that the flirty bat hadn't made an appearance. The amount of times she had come to steal the Master Emerald was countless. But, he sometimes wondered, if she did want to take it, why does she tease him instead? Still, though, teasing or not she usually always came. So why not now? …he might've even been getting used to her.

At that, the guardian turned a bright red, darker than his fur as he realised how many emotions and feelings that statement held. Why, _why_, he asked himself, _why_ was he blushing over _Rouge the bat_? _Why was he even thinking about her_?! It wasn't as though he liked her as more than a friend or-

"Ok," he said out loud, his muzzle redder than a ripe tomato, "This is where I stop, and do something else; I've done enough thinking for today,"

Knuckles stood up and turned to face the Master Emerald, feeling the breeze slowly wash away the heat on his face. He, like Sonic, also loved nature; the flowers, wildlife and the breeze. The breeze was probably his favourite part. He loved the way it pushed against his face, never ceasing to cool him down.

But, obviously, he was taken out of his comfort zone within seconds.

The ringing on his communicator was enough to push him out of his momentary relaxation, the screen blinking with urgency as he stared at it for a moment.

He groaned.

"Tails," he grunted, "What now?"

"Knuckles! Come quick; I've detected a Chaos Emerald! But Eggman's headed for it too." A voice shouted through the communicator, a mix of urgency and excitement, "Sonic asked that we join him in the Tornado; he already went. C'mon, I'll call Amy!"

Chaos Emerald. That was all Knuckles really heard because of the fox talking too quick. But it was enough to persuade him into going. Shouting back that he was coming, the echidna made way for the Mystic Ruins.

"Time for some action," he grinned

* * *

A blue blur sped through the forest, a blast of wind almost knocking down the trees as he ran past. Sonic glanced down at his communicator which showed the coordinates of the emerald. Good. Right way so far. He was sure it wouldn't affect him now; this is what it had been aching for. Its thirst for an adventure was constantly eating at his mind, wishing for something, anything to happen. The results of this was horrible. Having two beings in one body was a punishment in itself but also having a major migraine…

It was indeed a punishment. A punishment for him. Just for him. And a way to make him feel ashamed of his sins. That was when Sonic's head snapped up. No. He wouldn't let the past haunt him. He was a new person now. Maurice was a different person. From the past. But even so, he still lingers inside him. Still itching to kill someone. He was the other side of the coin. He was still in the hedgehog's body. He was the villain in the hero.

* * *

Amy Rose snored gently, her body turning and stuffing her face into the pillows. She smiled; her dream actually came true. And now, in her sleep, she relived every moment of it; every breath she took, every sound, and every action, even the swift grin he showed her when she stared at him in disbelief. Sonic the Hedgehog, her lifelong crush, asked her out. She didn't do anything-he just came whilst she was baking cookies for Cream. She stood, shocked that he came and curious as to why he kept rubbing an arm behind his head bashfully. And then, that wondrous moment when he asked her on a date to Twinkle Park of his own accord. Her heart still fluttered. And then, one of her favourite, most treasured parts was when they sat on the bench, watching the sun lower behind the hills. He looked at her and they gazed into each other's eyes as they slowly closed and their lips moved closer and closer and closer and then-

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Amy groaned in displeasure.

"Why does something always happen at the best part?!" she whined.

She angrily tapped the screen, shouting into it before Tails had a chance.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked, her face an inch away from the screen, her eyes wide with fury.

Tails could obviously tell that he called at the wrong time, but he couldn't do anything about it. This was urgent. Plus, he knew Amy would come once he told her; it was about Sonic.

"Er, hi Amy, um, this probably isn't a good time for you but it's serious," his voice resonated through the gadget, "…And it's about Sonic."

The pinkette's mood changed drastically, switching from furious and moody to a mix of worry and concentration.

"What? What happened?! Tails, tell me now!"

The fox winced on the other side of the communicator. He knew that if he didn't give the pink hedgehog what she wanted, especially if it concerned Sonic, then he would face the wrath of her hammer. She was nice but could be really scary, in his opinion.

"Sorry Amy, no time. B-but come quick right now and I'll tell you everything!" he added quickly when he heard her animalistic growl.

The screen went black as he disconnected and Amy, furious for not being told everything, removed her hammer and immediately shot out of the door, racing to the mechanic.

"TAILS!"

* * *

Eggman watched his arch-nemesis in shock. What was happening to him? He wasn't going to complain though: whatever Sonic was doing was winning the villain the battle. The hedgehog looked faint and pale as spun in his signature move. The scientist watched as the hero missed his target and began swirling around, his eyes dull and his actions floppy, completely unlike him. Eggman leaned forward and opened his mouth to speak. Like always, the hedgehog beat him to it.

"What, Egghead?" he smirked and taunted in his current drowsy form, "Too scared ya gonna lose?"

Eggman smirked back. At least something was right about him right now. But still, he wasn't feeling that spark of victory that he thought was meant to come. Despite having a clear victory against the pest, it didn't feel like it was one. He didn't want to win when Sonic wasn't feeling himself: he wanted to win fair and square, otherwise it would be like he was pathetic and could only beat a hedgehog when something was wrong with him.

The mad scientist felt annoyed. It was hard to explain how he felt about the battle, but, even still, he would take this opportunity, despite it feeling like a failed victory. He snatched the Chaos Emerald from the broken ruins the two foes found it at and moved the controls of his Eggmobile forward. As he flew away from the battle, he couldn't help wondering what that bad feeling he had was.

* * *

_ by the way, you know the line break issue I had? i think i fixed it. PLEASE REVIEW! Sorry about the short chapter: may take a while for me to write longer ones._


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMER__: I DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF THE SONIC FRANCHISE. (i wish...)_

_Heeeyyy guess who's back! yup, its meeee! So i have another chapter here (duh) and i think it is a bit longer than the rest, but i dunno. PLEEEAAASSSEEE, PLEEAASSSEEE REVIEW! It really encourages me. yay. Also constructive criticism welcome. And again, many thx to Leodragon678, Sonadow345, meekyz and Rowan Jacobs for all your support. enjoy!_

_PLEASE REVIEW!_

* * *

CHAPTER 3: DEMON.

I watched Amy glance out of the window again, her knee bouncing up and down whilst Knuckles just sat there, clenching his hand into a fist before opening it again. Why? I didn't know. If it was about Sonic then there was nothing to worry about: I mean, this was Sonic, afterall. What bothers me is that I say that, but my heart pounds against my ribcage and my veins are exploding with trepidation. I looked out of the window and pressed down the auto-pilot button.

"Tails?" I heard Knuckles ask. I didn't need to turn to know that all of them had been watching me, even Shadow. The black hedgehog was sat, silent, in one of the chairs in my plane and hadn't moved since he stepped foot into it. I wonder, was he concerned about Sonic? Or was it something else? Whatever it was was clearly troubling him and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Shadow." I said in my sternest voice. I didn't want him to think I was small and helpless, unable to even make a friend feel better. Said hedgehog looked at me and I watched as he slowly parted his eyelids to reveal bored-looking, ruby orbs. But deep inside his eyes was another emotion, one that I couldn't interpret. Was it worry?Or… no, it couldn't be.

"Tails, listen," He said, shutting his eyes again, most likely to conceal his uncharacteristic turmoil of thoughts and emotions, clouding his brain and peaking through his eyes. At least, I'm guessing that's why he did it.

But it was his voice and words that did something to me. I couldn't help but feel that he knew something we didn't. Something about Sonic. His eyes snapped open to reveal his blood-red irises. They held an emotion I had never seen on him before; Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog, was scared.

* * *

"_Sonic…"_

The hedgehog turned, his ears glancing in different directions.

"_Sonic…"_

His short and raspy breaths left him fearful. He was, in actual fact, terrified.

"_**Sonic…"**_

He had blacked out and now he had to fight a losing battle; one he couldn't win.

"_**Sonic…"**_

And it was against his worst nightmare.

"**Sonic…"**

"Maurice…"

* * *

"Tails, Sonic he-"

"What, Shadow? He what?" I asked him in aggravation. He wasn't finishing his sentence and it was driving me crazy. "What did he do?"

The Ultimate Lifeform looked at me.

"It's not what he did… It's what he told me,"

I took a sharp breath and felt them pierce my lungs, the air slicing through my throat as it worked its way down. I swallowed, almost as if I assumed it drown away what I thought; what I felt. I wasn't certain that Sonic didn't trust me, I'm sure he does: he probably had a reason for telling his rival something that he didn't tell his brother.

Did he think it was only something Shadow would understand? Probably, I mean, they are quite similar in many ways. But still… even though I knew Sonic had his reasons, I felt… betrayed and hurt.

"_It's not what he did… it's what he told __**me**__,"_

I knew it wasn't intentional, but it felt like Shadow was taunting me, saying that Sonic told him and not his trusty sidekick and although I felt a stab in my heart I knew I needed answers. Answers to the many questions I had.

"What?" I asked breathily, "What do you mean? What did he tell you?"

And it was then I realized Shadow's hands were shaking.

* * *

"Maurice…"

"_**Sonic…"**_

The hero looked up at the top of the black void, his emerald eyes quivering gently.

"Stop."

"_**Why should I, dear Sonic?"**_

"Stop." He repeated, more firmly. Suddenly, a maniacal laughter shot through Sonic's ears as they perked up and swivelled in the direction of the sound. He turned his body just as eyes appeared in the surrounding blackness looking like they were floating. The blue hedgehog trembled slightly as he realised they had no irises: only one person had those eyes. A figure stepped out and his features became more distinct.

He had fur darker than coal which was highlighted by a dark purple aura looking like furious, crashing waves rolling over themselves. The white of his gloves, empty eyes and white strips of his shoes stood out against the dark. The only colours stopping him from being a monochromatic hedgehog was the red stripes on his shoes and the golden buckles on each of them.

He was pouting with a small curve on the ends of his lips, signaling the start of a smirk.

"_**Give me one reason why I should, Sonic,"**_

* * *

"He isn't getting angry or going over the top in battles for the reason we thought," Shadow turned to look at me, Amy and Knuckles, a confused, scared, and worried expression plastered on his face. "It's something else. Something he showed me that's terrifying: something that isn't him at all."

I looked at him incredulously. What he just said was by far the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.

"It's a creature lurking inside him that's the complete opposite of that cheery faker...faker…"

"Shadow?" His eyes grew wide and he looked as if he had zoned out. Whatever happened to him was obviously caused by him saying 'Faker'.

Just after I called out to him, the black hedgehog snapped back into existence and his irises began to tremble again as he looked at us.

"Wha?" He asked, "Oh, yeah, well Sonic seems to have this terrifying being in him and when he came to me that night, he… he lost control and went on a rampage." Shadow shuddered, "An-and he overpowered me in seconds…"

This time, I couldn't hold back my gasp. For Shadow to willingly say that Sonic beat him or was stronger than him must've meant that my big brother was far too powerful. But I can't imagine the hero of Mobius losing to himself. And from the way Shadow said it, Sonic must've tried to destroy him after he fought a losing battle with the 'creature' inside himself. For Sonic to lose a fight meant that the enemy was just...

I gulped.

"S-Shadow?" I said, "Describe the 'being'"

His whole body began to tremble.

"His fur was black and he looked exactly like him…"

I was confused.

"Like who, Shadow?"

"Sonic."

* * *

The blue hedgehog grasped the hand clutching his neck tightly and desperately attempted to pry the fingers off. He tried his best to battle him, but the power of his sins was too strong.

The dark hedgehog tightened his grip on Sonic's neck, smirking wildly with a cackle that froze the hero's heart. Then, unexpectedly, he opened his fist and watched the hedgehog crumple to the floor. Dark grinned and walked to the hero, who was picking himself up from the floor with his remaining strength.

"He isn't an enemy you can defeat. He has a power that surpasses the devil the same way Sonic has a strength which surpasses the gods. The being is an evil version of him. Sonic is the hero and _it _is the villain."

I looked at the uncharacteristic trembling form of Shadow as he resumed his talk.

"He is the sun and _it _is the moon."

* * *

Sonic panted, his raspy breathing echoing around the black void.

"_**Is that it, Sonic? I thought you would be more fun…"**_

The blue hedgehog looked up and growled at Dark: he was getting on his nerves.

"Sh-shut up." He gasped, "I'll defeat you.."

Dark's smirk just grew larger if that was even possible.

"_**But I'm you, Sonic, and you're me. You can't defeat yourself."**_

Sonic grinned, and managed to get into his fighting stance.

"Just watch me."

* * *

I looked at Amy and Knuckles. Both were shaking, eyes wide and irises small, at this new information. I turned back to The Ultimate Lifeform. He had spaced out again and was trembling as if he was caught in an avalanche.

I felt the slight tremors in my hands and legs and it had nothing to do with the plane.

* * *

Dark knelt down beside the blue hedgehog, watching in amusement as he tried and failed to stand up again. After a while, he spoke.

"_**I told you - you can't defeat yourself."**_

Sonic lifted his head to look at him, wincing slightly in pain.

"And I told you - you aren't me and I am not you," He groaned, "you are-"

* * *

"I call him Dark Sonic," Said Shadow, "And he isn't Mobian: he is-"

* * *

"A demon."

"A demon."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: COME BACK TO US

_DISCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF THE SONIC FRANCHISE!_

_Hi, sorry I took so long...And I promise i will make longer chapters eventually. But its soooo hard:(!_

* * *

'_Where is that annoying, blue pineapple!?'_

Eggman's stomach bounced and jiggled as he cackled, his voice practically dripping with evil as it cut through the air. His feet tapped against the floor when he moved forward slightly to stand next to his robot duplicate of the hedgehog. With a smirk directed to a young man quickly evacuating his home as he screamed in terror, the crazy doctor frowned, deep in thought, whilst he continued to overlook what he would call 'a brilliant show'. Metal turned to him.

"Is everything alright, doctor?"

Eggman glanced at him before waving him off.

"Yes, yes…" He said in a dismissive tone. He grit his teeth angrily: That menace can't be planning something can he? No… even if that was the case, he was the hero of Mobius and couldn't allow the people he swore to protect burn to ashes. "That rodent will come when he wants."

'_I won't ask him to come either,'_ He thought smugly, '_I win, Sonic, and you lose!'_

What he didn't know, is that, for once, he was right.

* * *

Tails peered out of the window again. He sighed: nothing, even when he was sat up front, in the pilot seat, with the best view out of all four of them.

"Can you see anything?" he called.

He heard a sigh of frustration and turned to face his friends.

The pink hedgehog shook her head sadly. "No…"

Tails turned to Knuckles, watching him desperately try to control his anger.

"Dang it, Sonic!" He growled, banging his fist against the armrest and making it break, "Where the heck are you?!"

The red echidna felt his blood boil hotter than the rays of the sun, his muzzle slowly growing as dark as his fur in anger. Out of all four mobians, Knuckles was by far the most outraged. Upset, yes (though he would never admit it) but his rage was much stronger.

He snarled again.

Amy cautiously approached, one hand out in an attempt to calm him. As Sonic's lover and as she cared for him deeply, she couldn't risk Knuckles trying to rip him to pieces even if she knew he probably wouldn't, couldn't or both. The pinkette could practically feel the fury radiating off him.

"Knuckles," She said, grabbing his attention and making his violet eyes turn to her. "We're all looking for and missing Sonic. Some may be angrier than others and some may be more upset than others, got it? We all know how you feel but you need to keep calm. Just imagine how I feel…" She trailed off at the end. Her rising anger had evaporated within seconds and she felt her eyes become glassy.

'_Not now._' She said to herself, '_I will not cry now!'_

The red echidna was, to say the least, surprised. Even in this situation, the fangirl had managed to maintain a clear head and that in itself was shocking as it concerned her beloved Sonic. He knew she was right; with the leader missing, he couldn't afford recklessness and unnecessary risks.

If Sonic needed help, he was gonna get it.

A grunt was Amy's only reply.

Tails turned away from the scene

"_Just imagine how I feel…"_

Tears finally made their way to the fox's eyes, blurring his eyesight as he fought to keep them back. His nose scrunched up as the water slowly disappeared and the unclear and distorted sight of his control panel slowly smudged back into one.

He sniffed and rubbed his hand across his nose. The kitsune could still feel a thin layer of water along the bottom of his eyes, just above his lower eyelid.

_Where are you, Sonic?_

-/-/-

Amy watched Tails lift his hand and drag it across his nose, his sniff breaking the silence that had polluted the aircraft. She frowned. Why did he have to go through this? It doesn't matter if he was the smartest in the group, he was still only eight! So why? Why did he have to go through losing his brother?

The pinkette winced.

_Don't say it like that. He isn't gone, he just… Disappeared. He can't die. I'll make sure of it._

_Sonic…_

Amy turned to the window on her right and placed her hand on the latch to pull it open. The breeze flowed in and ruffled her quills, moving all around them and calming her down slightly. She smiled cheerfully.

_...Will come back!_

* * *

Eggman smirked in pleasure when he realised he was finally one step closer to his plans of world domination. Clearly, as the city had been brought to his knees, and as he hadn't seen them anywhere, the pesky rodent's friends were completely oblivious to the news. Sonic, he assumed, was still unconscious back at the ruins where their battle had taken place.

He closed the plating in Metal Sonic's body and put down his screwdriver. He had fixed his most powerful robot in just under an hour after he lay destruction all over the helpless city he burnt; a new record! Eggman grabbed a cloth and polished his robot'0s body before pushing back his chair and relaxing in it. After repairing the jet boosters in Metal's soles, which had died out during the flight back to his base, he deserved some much needed rest.

Besides, now that he was progressing in his plan, he had to think of his next step. However, never having thought of this part because he had never reached there and also because his mind was completely blank, Eggman had no idea what to do.

As he rubbed his forehead and rested his neck against the top of his chair, he couldn't help but smile.

_This time I will succeed_

_This time I will win._

* * *

_A black-furred hedgehog laughed softly in pleasure when another body fell down to the ground as he retracted his hand from within his chest. The man flopped to the ground, adding more crimson to the scene that death himself had created._

_The other army of hedgehogs backed away slightly, watching in fear as the coal Mobian ambled toward them. Before the two leaders at the front of the group could even so much as breathe, let alone scream, a claw had pierced through their torsos, their eyes wider than tennis balls and their hearts losing the rapid beat of fear rushing through them. The hedgehog felt the bodies hang limply on his wrists._

'_Just more deadweight.' He grinned at the thought. _

"_One, two," He said in a sing-song voice,"I'll kill you…"_

_Gentle smile on his face, the murderer stood in front of his enemies. They backed away and shuddered as they felt his illuminating, blank eyes scan over them, feeling as though a bucket of glacial water had been poured on top of their heads and down the rest of them as they felt their bodies numb._

_That was the last thing two of the hedgehogs heard before their sight buzzed with black as the dark hedgehog removed his hands from within their bodies, splatting blood over the rest of himself as he did so. The horde of soldiers hid their surprise and silenced their gasps. 'That murderous hedgehog moved so quick!' was the thought they all shared._

"_Three, four," He giggled, slightly insane, "Kill some more…"_

_Two screams mixed with each other after those words had left the psychotic one's mouth. The sound released a true sense of fear and terror, a signal of more joining the after world._

"_Five, six, fall for my tricks…"_

_The remaining four hedgehogs glanced at each other. A heavy feeling of dread burdened them so strongly that the could taste in the air. Death. The Mobians nodded before the two at the back sprinted away and the two at the front transitioned their bodies into fighting stances. The killer didn't even react when the two bolted._

_More blood splattered across the ground, a limp thud following it as the bodies hit the floor._

"_Seven, eight," He sang, "You've met your fate…"_

_Those two thought they had managed to slip away and escape their deaths. Wrong._

_The dark Mobian withdrew his hands, the limbs drenched and completely covered in blood making them look like a pair of red gloves. His claws dripped and he smiled softly._

"_Nine, ten, I'll do it again."_

* * *

_Yaaay! another chapter! this time I'll try to update soon. The only reason it took so long for this one was because God decided that it was time for me to get my first writers block... how wonderful. Anyway, who liked the parody kind of thing I used at the end? It's actually supposed to be one,two, buckle my shoe,_

_Three,four,knock on the door,_

_Five, six,pick up the sticks,_

_Seven , eight, set them straight,_

_Nine, ten, a big fat hen._

_But ya know i changed it and, to be honest, I quite like it (not in a dark kind of way). I can never forget that rhyme. Again, sorry about the long wait but just so you know, I will never abandon this story. So...even though people probably don't read this, or just ignore it, I'm going to say it anyway cuz maybe, just maybe, someone will. so..._

_PLEASE REVIEW! _


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5: DOUBT

_Sry it took so long._

_DISCLAIMER: NO PART OF THE SONIC FRANCHISE BELONGS TO ME!_

* * *

My head. It hurts. It hurts so bad. The dark, it's everywhere. Where am I?

I don't know what to do. I've been here for so long, but how long exactly? A few hours? Years? It could even be minutes for all I know. I've walked and walked to no end. I ran and ran, faster and faster. But instead of the wonderful sense of adrenaline and wind whipping through my quills, there is nothing. And instead of those beautiful sights I pass everyday, it's black. And it's dark. I hate it. I want to see the light again, my friends again. I want to see Amy again. And so I ask:

Where am I?

I wish I knew; I wish someone would answer. I've tried calling, really I have. But nobody replied. There was no sound. Not even the faintest call. Not even an echo of my question or my shallow breathing. I rasp it out again. Nothing. I'm alone. Again. Please help me, I don't want to be here. I'd rather be anywhere else than where I am now. But I want to know:

Where am I?

I can feel myself breaking down, all my shows of confidence wiping away. All my acts. My façade. I'm alone, aren't I? So I'm allowed to fall and take a break. Because I'm alone. I always was. I always am. But my friends saved me from that. _Saved_. I'm alone now. My friends aren't here. But then, if they aren't here, I need to know:

Where am I?

xx-xx

Tails…

Why? Why have you left me all alone again? You were my closest friend, My sidekick, My little brother. You were the one I always went to, help needed or not. But now… now I'm starting to think that it was all a dream, something I could only hope for. I'm crying. Me, Sonic The Hedgehog, is crying. I really thought, really believed, that I was something to you. To you and everyone else.

Am I wrong? Was I a fool thinking that you acknowledged me? Tell me I'm not… please. Tell me you do acknowledge me, think of me as a brother, a friend.

I never thought you'd be one of the things that would break me.

/

Knuckles…

What about you? Do you ever think of me as something other than a pest? Or am I still nothing better than that dumb rock you guard all day? I really wonder if I am anything to you. Everything it's ever been was always one-sided trust. Did you have faith in me the same way I always had in you? I can't help but feel you didn't. I'm in pain. Mental and emotional, but pain, hurt.

I always hoped I could be appreciated as a better friend than your pet rock. I was stupid to think that, I know now.

/

Shadow…

Shads…should I stop calling you that? It was my way of showing you I cared. But if you never did about me, why should I to you? All you ever thought of me was an inferior being. A faker. I wanted to be your friend… but all I ever achieved was being a rival and enemy. What did I do that caused this? I constantly assumed that you thought of me as someone you could trust deep down. Was I wrong? The same way I had been with everyone else? You grudgingly admitted once that you never tried strangled me to death because I was something like a friend to you.

Was it a lie? I can't tell, because you were one of the people that killed me inside.

/

Amy…

You were my rose, my love, my Ames. Was it a mistake to fall for you? You always said you loved me and asked me to marry you. And I had always considered saying yes. But I didn't. Should I have continued that way? I don't know how to feel, what to think. Were you trying to lure me in only to crush me?

I always felt bad whenever I ran from you and broke your heart. But should I be? Because you're the one who shattered my heart quicker and more painful than a sword to the chest.

/

"What is wrong with me?!"

I sank to my knees and slammed my fist against the black floor. My legs seemed to crumble from beneath me, growing weaker the more I cried.

"A lot…" A voice spoke from behind me. I didn't even need to turn to know who it was. "Thinking _you_ could be a hero?!" He scoffed, "Wow… that's probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen you try. You thought you could save the world, hmm? From what? Was it Eggman?... Or yourself?"

My eyes betrayed me and grew wider the more I tried to keep them closed. He was wrong. Why would I have to save the world from myself? Egghead's the bad guy, not me. So then why does my heart lurch the more I think about it?

"Because you know I'm right, Sonic,"

I swirled around to face him, his blank, white eyes narrowed with glee. How did he know what I was thinking?!

Dark didn't bother to refrain from laughing. "This is your mind." He tilted his head and pointed to the blackness surrounding us. He smirked at me. "Let me tell you something, _hero_… when a person is good with an original heart of pure, their mindscape is white."

My eyes grew wider and I knew where this was going. "What do you mean original heart?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Dark's smirk grew bigger. "I mean what their heart is like when they are born,"

I felt my irises shrink. "No.."

He continued, "And when a person is evil with an original heart of tainted darkness, their mindscape is black…"

I felt myself shiver. I couldn't block out the way his eyes pierced through my soul, knowing what I felt and the way realization suffocated me like the dark of my mindscape.

He leaned towards me, resting his arm over my shoulder as I stood still and placing his head next to mine as if he were about to hug me.

"So tell me, Sonic," He whispered lightly in my ear, "If you're a _hero_, then why is your mindscape black?"

xx-xx

"Where?!"

Knuckles couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. He pointed his finger out of his window, not daring to take his eyes off the speck of blue just barely visible against the green of the forest. "There!"

Tails turned his head toward him. His eyes scanned rapidly over the trees before resting on the dot of blue. The twin-tailed kitsune subconsciously twisted the wheel of the Tornado in unison with his head so that the figure was directly within his sight. The speed increased and yet the landing was as swift as if it were a bird flying against a gentle breeze.

Amy had snatched her eyes away from the deep chasm of clouds above, the rain falling like thin needles and scraping away at her skin as she leapt out of the plane to race after the pilot of the group to the motionless hedgehog.

"Sonic!" She shouted, tears and rain mingling together. She watched in despair as the hedgehog continued to lie on the floor showing no sign of life, no recognition that any of them were sat beside him. To anyone who wasn't close with him, it may have looked like he was sleeping. And they all prayed he was.

xx-xx

He had finally done it. All the power was getting to his head and as such, the ultimate weapon was created. Egg Titan was wreaking havoc upon the entire of Station Square, burning down houses and destroying hospitals. The chaos was wonderful to Eggman. He laughed insanely after seeing his weapon crush a young boy to death. He was unhinged, his mind breaking apart with power.

_This sensation! I love it! All the power, I will rule and nothing, not even that brat or his friends, will stop me!_

He stood there on top of the skyscraper, unknowing that a blue blur was speeding through the forest at the speed of sound.

* * *

_I did say I will never abandon this story. I promise. Sry its short, I was rushing and had a wwriters block. I WILL MAKE THEM LONGER! EVENTUALLY! see ya next time. I won't even bother to ask you guys to review._


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